How would you like to be met?

Mental health and psychological problems are still stigmatized, even if 50 % of us will quality for some disorder once in our lifetime. The stigma can be explained many ways. Sometimes, people don`t know enough about psychology, but even people who`ve read a lot, can have prejudices. I have prejudices and problems with understanding, too, but I try to be aware of it.

Have you heard stories about people with psychological issues who weren`t believed or felt ridiculed if they tried to explain what they felt? Unfortunately, I have, and it scares me more than anything. I might even have acted differently myself, because we show dislike or contempt in many ways (and you don`t always notice it yourself). When busy, I must confess that I have a tendency to not meet the eyes of a beggar, and I have stepped back when I`m approached by for example an alcoholic.

When I do, I remember to watch myself from above, and take a deep breath. Usually, it helps, and I have learnt so much that way.

To illustrate what I mean by prejudice, I`ve included some pretty explanatory pictures.

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About mirrorgirl

I am a psychologist working as a trauma therapist in Norway.
I am blogging about my life and psychology-related topics. I am also working on a book about my life and work, that will be published this year.
Thank you all for visiting my blog.

Reading this makes me think that most people are just plain idiots! You can’t fix stupid! This is what I think about my psycho monkey’s fan club. But then again, he doesn’t have that big a fan club anymore! Most of them I think have drifted away by now, except for a hard-core few. Sometimes though, I think most of them know what he is now and are just waiting patiently for him to crash and burn!

BTW, Don’t you just love it, when some fool insolently and smugly tells you to just “move on” as if the relationship or whatever you want to call it never happened or that you were hurt in the process by how you were treated? I guess I don’t really need to ask huih? Take care kid! Hugs to you!

I think the stigma remains so very strong…and is influenced by factors such as culture, area of the country (rural vs city), and educational and socio-economical status. These are undoubtedly only a few of the factors…and it is disheartening how strongly the stigma persists…for as you note, education alone is not always helpful. There are numerous ethical and humanistic issues that also complicate one’s response to mental illness, mental health, both individually and in society at large.

Is it ‘tolerance’ – or acceptance? Of other cultures, ways of living, ways of being…Because before acceptance (or tolerance), there needs to be at least some wider or larger understanding of the issue, of the behavior or psychology of the behavior…E.g., understanding that schizophrenia is not something that can be ‘gotten over’ – so to speak. It can be managed, worked with, and accepted…As is true also with anxiety, depression, and other difficulties. Tolerance and intolerance, to my mind, have an implicit bias embedded in the word choice – as it suggests that “I am better’ and will tolerate your not being ‘better’ or ‘ok’. Acceptance suggests more an attitude, based on beliefs that can have a sound foundation to them…in science, psychology…and thus, an understanding of the other as different, and not someone to ‘tolerate’. Let me know what you think, ok?